Dispensing bin for vegetables, etc.



June 14, 1960 FIG.

E. A. STRATTMAN DISPENSING BIN FOR VEGETABLES, ETC.

Filed March 10, 1958 INVENTOR EDWIN A. STRATT MAN ATTORNEYS finite States Patent DISPENSING BIN FOR VEGETABLES, ETC.

Edwin August Strattman, 6061 Vermillion Blvd., New Orleans, La.

Filed Mar. 10, 1958, Ser. No. 720,125

1 Claim. (Cl. 222-184) This invention relates to storage and dispensing receptacles for vegetables and fruits; and it is particularly useful in restaurants, hotels, hospitals and other places where potatoes, onions and the like are stored for immediate use and used in substantial quantities at short intervals of time.

One object of the invention is to provide a well ventilated storage bin for potatoes or other vegetables or fruits, with novel means for extracting the contents from the bottom of the bin in either large or small quantities and in a fast and efficient manner so that much time and physical effort will be saved.

Another object is to provide a dispensing means of this character in which an upright rectangular bin has a downwardly and inwardly inclined front wall and a downwardly and forwardly inclined floor made with a fixed rear section, and a hingedly connected front section which underlies and is spaced from the front wall, so that the weight of the contents of the bin is substantially removed from the front floor section and the latter may be easily swung to control the removal of the potatoes from the bin.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view, the invention resides in the novel combinations and arrangements of parts and the novel features of construction hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which show the present preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the improved potato bin showing its discharge control member raised to permit a limited number of potatoes to be removed by hand; and

Fig. 2 is a vertical front-to-rear sectional view showing its discharge control member lowered to permit the potatoes in the lower part of the bin to roll out and quickly fill a pan or other receptacle.

Referring more in detail to the drawings the numeral 1%) denotes the body of an upright open top bin which is preferably of square or rectangular shape. The body may be of a size to hold 100 pounds of potatoes, and it may comprise a frame formed by four corner posts 11 connected at their upper ends by front, rear and side strips 12 and adjacent their lower ends by side strips 13 and a rear strip 14. The portions of the posts projecting below these lower strips form supporting legs. The two sides and the back walls of the body or frame may be covered with wire mesh 15 or other foraminous material so that air may circulate freely through the bin to ventilate the contents thereof.

The front wall 16 of the bin is preferably imperforate or solid and inclines downwardly and inwardly from the front top strip 12 to a point spaced from the floor or bottom of the bin to provide a discharge opening 17. The door is also preferably imperforate and is inclined downwardly and forwardly. It comprises a stationary rear section 18 and swinging front section 19 which is r 2,940,642 Patented Ju e movable to control the discharge of the potatoes. The fixed rear section 18 of the floor may be a solid panel fastened upon downwardly and forwardly inclined strips 20 extending between the front and rear posts. The swinging floor section 19 is connected to the front edge of the rear section by two butt hinges 21 and, when it is in its lowered position resting on the tQP strips 20, it forms a straight continuation of the rear section 18. The lower edge of the inwardly offset front panel 16 terminates in spaced relation to the hinged connection between the two floor sections of the bin to provide the discharge 17. The fiont wall 16 is fixed to the front posts by two longitudinally tapered side plates 23 which extend rearwardly from the front posts and have the front panel fixed to their inclined rear edges.

It will be noted that the inward offset of the front wall will facilitate the downwardly gravitation of the potatoes in the bin, and that the front wall overlies the major portion of the swinging front section 19 of the floor. Hence the weight of the contents of the bin is substantially removed from the front floor section 19 so that it may be readily swung to the upwardly inclined position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 and in full lines in Fig. 1. When in that position the outward flow of potatoes will be stopped but some may be removed by hand. It will be noted that as the floor section 19 swings upwardly the potatoes on it agitate and apply pressure to those in the opening 17 to aid the outflow when that section is again lowered. However when the front section 19 is in its lowered position, the potatoes will roll out of the bin so that a pan P may be quickly filled. It will be further noted that the sectional floor covers the entire horizontal area of the bottom portion of the bin and that when the front section 19 is lowered there is no spout or chute projecting in front of the bin which would be dangerous and objectional from a safety standpoint. It will be further noted that by using the front section of the floor of the bin as the discharge control, the bin has only one movable part and is rendered more simple and cheaper to manufacture.

While any suitable means may be provided for lifting the front floor section and holding it to stop the outflow of potatoes, I preferably provide at the top of the front of the bin an anchor member 27 in the form of a hook and fasten to the section 19 as at 25 a flexible link or member 24 such as a wire or chain with an eye 26 to engage the hook to hold the section raised, as seen in Fig. 1.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be seen that novel and advantageous provision has been made for carrying out the objects of the invention, and while preferences have been disclosed, attention is invited to the possibility of making variations within the scope of the invention as claimed.

1 claim:

A portable bin for dispensing potatoes or the like comprising an upright bin body frame of rectangular shape having four vertical corner posts the lower end of which form supporting legs, a back wall connecting the two rear posts, opposed side walls connecting the front and rear posts, a pair of laterally opposed floor supporting strips connecting the front and rear posts and inclined downwardly and forwardly with their front ends spaced upwardly from the lower ends of the front posts, a down wardly and forwardly inclined bin floor covering the entire horizontal area enclosed by the body frame, said floor consisting of a rear section fixed to the upper rear portions of said strips and an upwardly swingable front section movable within the confine of said frame, hinges connecting the adjacent edges of the two floor sections, two opposed upright longitudinally tapered plates secured section is in its lowered position in the planeof the rear floor section and supported on the forward portions of said supporting strips, said front wall overlying substantially the entire area of said swinging-floor section so that when said swinging floor section is moved to an up:

wardly inclined position in slightly spacedrelationl to the lower edge of said front wall thev area of said dis;

charge opening will be reduced to stop the outflow of potatoes but permit some to be manually removed, and means for swinging said front floor section and holding it in its upwardly inclined position. 7

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

